Join Left of the Hudson on Rockland World Radio tonight at 8p as we welcome State Senate candidate David Carlucci. We’ll discuss the path to reform in Albany, government transparency, the MTA, and the economic climate in Rockland and Orange Counties.

Carlucci is serving his third term as Clerk of Clarkstown. As an early adopter of information technologies, he has brought the town into the 21st Century by digitizing hundreds of thousands of documents and using advanced medias to make municipal government more efficient. As a candidate for the New York State Senate, Carlucci faces County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef in November.

Send your questions for David to lefthudson@gmail.com, and click here to tune in.

Nyack, August 26 — Nyack’s building inspector has issued a stop work order to Oak Hill Cemetery to halt further clear cutting of 19 trees that were supposed to be preserved.  As specified in the Planning Board’s conditional site plan approval (see minutes), the trees were only to be removed with the approval of two Village Planning Board members. Ten of the the 19 trees remain.

Oakhill Cemetery has been clear cutting a portion of their property in order to expand their operations, and did not contact the Village as required  in the approval.  Continue reading →

Aug 21, 2010

Approximately 4:30pm yesterday, a fire broke out at 19 Prospect Street.

Fortunately nobody was injured, but the residents in the multi-family house have lost their home.  The families are getting housing and financial assistance from the American Red Cross of Greater New York.

Continue reading →

Upper Nyack, Wed July 21  — The Upper Nyack Planning Board meets tonight at 7:30p. The first item on the agenda concerns Petersen’s Boatyard.

JULIUS PETERSEN INC. [Owner], VAN HOUTEN HOLDING CORP./K. GRAEFE & SONS CORP. [Applicant], 1 VAN HOUTEN ST., COUNTY MAP NO. 60.18-01-13 Review of application for Special Permit for operation of boatyard/marina, to include boat building, marine contracting, dock building for recreational and commercial boating, and all related services; review of site plan for construction of replacement buildings on property located in Commercial Zoning District MB (Marine/Business).

Photo Credit: Nyack Daily Snapshot

by Richard Dysinger

South Nyack, June 18 — Last night over 60 South Nyack residents gathered in the Fire Hall to discuss and respond to a comprehensive survey mailed out by the Village of South Nyack.

This survey is the initial step in formulating a comprehensive plan for the Village of South Nyack. The last comprehensive plan for the village was in 1969. The Mayor and the trustees formed a Comprehensive Plan subcommittee in order to make sure that a new plan is in place if and when the construction of a new Tappan Zee Bridge begins.   Continue reading →

by Tina Traster

I now know there is a medicinal plant that can be used to treat the next-door-neighbor blues. It’s called Fargesia, or clumping bamboo.

Some background: my neighbor and I are not on friendly terms. Continue reading →

by Peter Klose, Esq.

A famous former New York City mayor prosecuted “quality of life” crimes to “clean up the streets.” What if that enforcement mentality came to the streets and sidewalks of Nyack?  A local resident saw my article in the Nyack Villager, and asked

“My problem is with property owners that are allowed to grow their hedges and shrubberies well over the edge of the sidewalks.  I have found the worst violators are along . . . . .  Up to a foot of sidewalk is lost in places because vegetation has grown without proper maintenance.  Continue reading →

by Cliff Weathers

This is one of the saddest days in New York history. The State is closing 41 parks and 14 historic sites as a result of the budget crisis. The sites include the Tallman Mountain State Park swimming pool and the Stony Point Battlefield in Rockland County.

With the State Budget being held hostage by the dysfunctional State legislature, Governor Paterson’s draconian recommendations have kicked in and New York families and communities are the losers.

But one legislator might have an idea, it seems. Sent on the eve of the park closings, in a mailing from State Senator Thomas Morahan, there is a push poll asking constituents if we should privatize our parks. Read on, I’m not making this up.
Continue reading →

by Nancy Blaker Weber

What a difference a year can make in the real estate market. Year to date 2010, there have been 332 Rockland County homes under contract. Last year for the same period there were only nine nine houses under contract — more than a 250 percent increase.

In South Nyack, Upper Nyack and Nyack there are 21 houses are under contract this year compared to none during January – May 2009.  As the dust settles and these houses go to underwriting it will be interesting to see how many will actually close. The good news is that as these houses close, appraisers will have more comparables to work from so this is truly important to anyone who is thinking of buying or selling.

Continue reading →

The Nyack Water Department will flush water mains in West and central Nyack on Monday-Thursday May 3- 6, 2010. Flushing hours will be between 9p and 6a. During the flush, residents in these areas may have reduced water pressure and see water that is temporarily discolored.